Decisions For Life
by rozethorngirl
Summary: Some decisions are harder than others; but when chaos and tragedy are in your midst, most decisions are easier to face. Especially in matters of the heart. Part 3 of A Fae's Love of A Vampire...Injury but no character death. Angel/Noah, Xander/Spike, Willow/Fred, some Angel/Buffy (The two aren't actually together)
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Decisions For Life  
**Rating: **M/R  
**Genre: **Slash, Supernatural/Romance/Angst/Drama  
**Warnings: **Language, Violence, and Sexual Situations  
**Summary: **Some decisions are harder than others; but when chaos and tragedy are in your midst, most decisions are easier to face. Especially in matters of the heart. That's what Noah realizes when laying on his deathbed, staring at Angel and just wanting the vampire to know the decision he made for his life would never change. Even if after the night he never was to rise again.  
**A/N: **Thank you for the continued support of this story series. This one is going to be multi-chapter. The names used I found on Faerie names site. They mean as follows: Aurelie – Immortal, Euphraxia – The delight of my heart and mind, and Tryphosa – The delicate. Please enjoy this first installment, and let me know what you think!

**Chapter 1**

Deep from within the bushes of the forest that surrounded the castle, a white light began to glow. It started as a little whisper of a light, no bigger than a firefly.

But then it began to swirl, and grow. Turning from white to blue, before swirling into a multitude of colors and changing form from a simple swirl into a full blown portal. A voice from within the portal said softly, over and over again, "_Noam…Noam…Noam…"_

It was calling…summoning…begging…

For them to come to the light. And the voice was steadily getting louder and louder, as bolts of electricity came of out of the center of it.

_"…Noam…Noam Aurelie Euphraxia Tryphosa. Noam Aurelie Euphraxia Tryphosa…"_

~P&A~

Noah felt his ears begin to itch, something was off. He was walking down the sidewalk side-by-side with Xander, listening to him drone on and on about the woes of being the good guy and not getting what he considers _proper _compensation for it. They had been out with the fourth sector of Slayers, some of their Watchers and Spike, when they intercepted a call over the walkie-talkies about a disturbance in a small neighborhood close by.

As far as baddies go, it certainly wasn't the scariest. In fact, it wasn't really scary at all. It had been a simple forager demon, picking through the trash and digging up front yards. Quick kill, in and out. Noah didn't really know why they had even been called. A simple shot gun or even any kind of loud noise would have done the trick to send it running.

So after that Xander had asked him if he wanted to go for some hot chocolate, and uh, _hello. _He was the chocolate whore, so of course he wanted hot chocolate! But ever since they left the late night bistro, he had this tingling sensation behind his ears that even when he scratched at it, it wouldn't go away.

"You know, all I'm saying is some people would be grateful to have me be fighting for their life, but _no_. You have to have people like that _family _be pissed at me for – "

Noah looked over to the older man with concern, causing him to stop his tirade. "Do you feel that?"

Xander came to a halt and after a quick look around, shook his head. "I don't feel anything," he said, looking at Noah strangely.

Noah looked around and craned his neck, feeling a tension settle in between his shoulders. "I just," he stops and looks behind him, trying to see better in the darkness what was lurking in the black woods. "There's something…following me," he tells his friend and steps closer to the woods.

The confused man looks in the directions the Fae teen does, and furrows his eyebrows. "Okay," he says, in a slightly panicky voice, "I'm no expert, but feeling like someone's following you? Not a reason to go looking for them."

Noah rolls his eyes and continues walking towards the woods.

Groaning, Xander walked forward and grabbed his arm. Spinning the teen around, he said, "We need to get back to the castle. I don't like this."

"Relax," Noah hissed back. "I'm fine. I can take care of myself. If you're so scared, you go back!"

Letting go of his arm, Xander shook his head. "You know, I never thought that I'd say this; but maybe Angel is right."

Face pulling into a sneer, Noah felt that name like a punch to the gut. Since their little patrolling fiasco two weeks ago, they had hardly spoken. Which was only aided by the fact he hadn't had a vision in almost just as long. He was beginning to wonder what exactly it was they were truly at opposite poles about. Was it the almost kiss or was it…something else?

At any, the fae had been keeping his down. Doing his schoolwork with the other kids, training with Spike and Faith, and testing the limits on his powers with Willow. Turns out he can do some pretty cool things, but the witch doesn't think they've even begun to scratch the surface on his abilities. Said something about how he radiates magical energy, and that it grows in strength every day.

But even though he knew the vampire had been informed of his progress, he had been mum on any thoughts regarding. Which, if he was being honest with himself, hurt quit a lot. So to hear Xander say the manpire had some kind of wisdom about him, drove the metaphorical knife that much deeper.

"Oh, really?" Noah scoffed, feeling the fire in the veins of his arm begin a low hum. "What, prey tell, are the bits of wisdom that Angel has enlightened you with about me? Hmm? I mean, since he knows me so well, right?"

Xander sighs, "You are so defensive. You take everything personally all the time, and it's not healthy. It's almost like you have this idea that you have to prove something. And – "

"And what?" The Fae replies while crossing his arms. "You telling me, I'm wrong? Cause here I am with all these fancy powers that none of you know anything about; and every time I try and figure it out by using them, I get told I'm trying too hard. Or that I'm not ready. That I need more training. That I blah, blah, blah. Meanwhile, all of you guys are prancing around with your super strength and whatever, being all kinds of badass. You think I don't feel left out?"

Holding up a hand in defense, the older man says, "Hey, now you're being unfair. Do you see me _prancing around _with the uber slayer strength? No. Never have. And if you remember, I'm the one who told Willow to start teaching you basic level magic."

Deflating, Noah kicks a small stone on the pavement. "I know that." He sighs and rubs his forehead, "I'm just…I'm very thankful, Xan. You know how much. I just want…I just want…"

"Dude, I get it," Xander cuts off. "You want to be somebody. To show everyone how good you are at something. But running off into the woods all willy nilly isn't going to show anyone squat."

Knowing the Watcher was right, Noah hung his head in defeat.

"Let's go to the castle, alright?" The man suggested with a smile. "We'll tell the others about – "

From out of seemingly nowhere, a black feathered arrow flies and embeds itself in Noah's shoulder. He screams, and Xander shouts his name as he hurries to catch him before he hits the ground.

Trying his best not to cry from the pain, Noah looks up at the man that caught him and gasps out, "_Xander_."

Feeling tears flood his own eyes, he very soothingly replies, "Shh. Shh. It's okay." He grabs his walkie and says over the line, "Vamp line 2. Vamp line 2. This is Watcher line 3. Come in. Over."

_"Watcher line 3 this is Vamp line 2…oh, bollocks. What is it Xander?"_

Feeling the tears threatening to fall, Xander says hurriedly, "Spike. Spike, it's Noah. He's been shot with an arrow. We need medical and we need it fast."

"_Xander,_" Noah says weakly, trying to get the man's attention.

_"Shite. Where are you?"_

Stroking the boy's head, he shushes him again. "Hold on, Noah," he says and then speaks into his walkie, "Approximately 5 streets west of base. On-on, uh," he looks for street signs, "Portree. Hurry."

_"On our way, pet."_

Trying not to jostle the shoulder that was badly injured, Xander still tried his best to take a closer look. It was bleeding pretty bad, and seemed embedded fairly deep. It was going to need surgery, no doubt. But even for how grisly it was, the arrow had pierced Noah cleanly. Whoever hit him was an excellent shot. However, since the object was rooted in the wound, he couldn't apply pressure without causing more damage. So basically all he could cradle the teen's head in his lap and pray that Spike would hurry. "Christ," the man said.

Wincing from the gentle prodding, Noah says, "_Xan-_Xander, we-we need to – need to get off…the street." Noah could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. He was fighting to stay awake. "Not safe," he insists. "You're not safe." His shoulder burned with pain, which seemed so odd. Searing pain, sure. A razor sharp object was lodged in him; but burning? He had to tell Xander. So they could look closer at it.

Touched by the kid's concern for him despite the situation, he gave up on any pretense of not crying. "I know kiddo. But I can't move you. Spike is getting the medics to hurry. You worry about you. I'm fine, okay?"

"It _burns,_" he wheezes. "I can't – I can't…aaahhh," he screams as the pain spreads across his back and down his arms.

Trying to hold the fae steady, Xander did his best to get him to calm down. He was crying along with the teen, not from pain but from fear. It had been a long time since the Watcher had feared something. But Noah just seemed to ignite this protective, brotherly love that Xander hadn't felt since Dawn had been his age.

"Shh," he soothed. "Calm down, they're coming," he says and looks up, relieved to see the Hum V turning the corner.

Noah's vision was going in and out, and he was trying not to panic any more than he already was; but something was seriously wrong. This wasn't a normal arrow. He screamed again, not hearing Xander's pleas to calm down.

Was this what dying felt like? How come he got the painful-my-dear-god-my-skin-feels-like-it's-being- peeled-back-layer-by-layer kind of death. What about the "It's like falling asleep," kind. His life has to be a bitch even in death. How did that happen?

The last thing he heard before slipping into blackness is a male voice whispering a name what felt like directly in his ear.

"_Noam…Noam Aurelie Euphraxia Tryphosa."_

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Enjoy! Let me know what you think!_

**Chapter 2**

Xander was a mess.

And not just in the emotional sense, but he was definitely that too.

He was covered, what literally felt like head to toe, in blood: Noah's blood. In reality, a good half of his shirt was soaked, and there was still some residual left under his fingernails. But otherwise, he was fine.

The Hum V had gotten there mere seconds after the teen lost consciousness. He was now pacing in the medical ward of the castle, waiting outside the surgical wing for Fred and the other medical team to come out and tell him what's going on.

Being that most of the girls are runaways and sustain multiple injuries multiple times a week, they needed a state of the art almost-a-hospital-but-doesn't-require-official-ide ntification-or-insurance place to bring them when they inevitable got critically battered. Thus they built one. It has everything a working hospital would.

Especially since two resident doctors with access to steady supplies from the local hospital both live in the castle and work in the medical wing.

"You need ta si'down, pet," Spike said around a lit cigarette.

Shooting his lover a dirty look, he snaps, "Do they even allow those down here?"

Shrugging, Spike takes out of his mouth and flicks the ash out onto the stone floor. "Seeing as I'm buggering the boss, don't really think it'd matter?"

Xander knew the vampire was trying to lighten the mood, but all he was doing was pissing him off. "Really, Spike?" he barks. "A kid is fighting for his life, and you want to be belligerent to rules, and use me as your excuse?" Scoffing and shaking his head, the watcher rolls his eyes angrily, "Shouldn't expect any less from you though. Blame Xander, he knows how to – "

"Hey," Spike calls, "enough o'that, yeah? I'm sorry. I was just joking." Stubbing the butt out with his boot, the vampire leans back in his chair assessing the man in front of him with a slight wary eye. "What's got you in coils, luv?" he asks gently.

Blinking rapidly, Xander adjusts his eye patch and sighs deeply to stop a sob from escaping. "It's my fault," he tells his lover. "Noah, he…he knew something was there, and I – "

The other man hushed him. "It's shite luck, Xan. Not your fault," Spike told him soothingly.

Shaking his head, Xander knew Spike was wrong, but he was just too emotionally wrung out to even begin to explain to him why. He knew he needed to though. To talk it out and get all his guilt off his chest. He needed his man to take him to their suite and wrap him up, telling him he wasn't the reason Noah could be dying. Right now. Behind the swinging doors over in the corner.

But he knew he didn't deserve it.

Noah had been his responsibility and he didn't listen when the kid was telling him someone was following them. He stopped and argued with him, didn't immediately call for help or start running.

He felt Spike's presence against his back, and like it was as natural as breathing, he just fell back into the vamp's chest. Letting the comforting smell envelope him.

"Xan, _cor,_" he whispers in his ear, "it's okay. Noah is going to be okay."

Biting his lip, Xander's head fell into his hands. "God," he mumbled into his palms.

Spike kissed his neck and pulled back. "I'm gonna scrounge up some treats to perk your spirit up, aye?" he smiled at his lover. "Be back in a bit."

Xander gave him a drawn smile in return and let him go; but quickly was lost in his thoughts again.

_*Noah looked over to the older man with concern, causing him to stop his tirade. "Do you feel that?"*_

Xander sighed. No he hadn't felt anything, and he didn't think the boy could either. He wasn't even thinking about his demon-faerie-whatever senses.

_*"I just," he stops and looks behind him, trying to see better in the darkness what was lurking in the black woods. "There's something…following me," he tells his friend and steps closer to the woods.*_

The man closes his eyes and shakes his head, trying to clear it of the memory. _Why didn't he listen? How did this – _

Even after the night he's had, being thrust up against a concrete wall still was a giant shock to his system…and the back of his head.

"How did this happen?" Angel growled in his face, while still pressing him against the wall.

Once he got his bearings, Xander pushed at the mountain of a man in front of him, "Aye-ee. Ouch," he said. "Let go, Deadboy!"

"Not until you tell me why the _hell _the kid is in surgery," He shouted again. "What the fuck were you thinking, Xander? Leaving the group, leaving _protection, _knowing he's vulnerable. Knowing he's being _hunted!"_

"Hey," the watched shouted back. "I'm sorry, okay? I know it was stupid, but we – "

"No buts," Angel responded. "You put him in harm's way. We all agreed that he wasn't to go out anymore at nighttime."

"_I did?_" Xander practically screeched. "_I put him in danger? _What about _you? _Where were you? Why weren't _you_ there? Huh? He's _your_ responsibility first! And you've been avoiding him like the plague for over two weeks. Why is that, huh? Not cool enough for you anymore?"

"Shut up," the vampire snarled. "You have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh, yeah? Well why don't you let me down and you tell me then?"

After a brief staring contest, Angel gave one last inhuman growl and then did just that.

Adjusting his shoulders, the watcher huffed as the other man turned away. "What the hell, man?"

"I'm sorry," the guy responded, massaging the bridge of his nose.

Looking at him for a moment, the one eyed man deflated against the wall. "I am too," he conceded.

There was a silence that settled between them, until Angel finally took the initiative to clear his throat. "So what did actually happen?"

Xander shrugged. "I don't know, we were walking back from Pine's and then he said he felt something was off. Like someone was following him, and then we're talking and then…bam! Arrow in the back."

Looking at the other man in disbelief, "He told you someone was following him, and you didn't call for help?"

Shaking his head, the man just sighs and slides down the wall. "I know, okay?" he mutters. "You can't beat me up any more than I'm beating myself up."

Spike walked in carrying a few bags of chips, a couple candy bars, and a soda. Seeing the other vampire, he stopped in the doorway and looked between his boyfriend and his grandsire suspiciously. "Everything alright?" he drawls.

"Copacetic," the watcher replies in a tone that said everything was anything but.

Nodding doubtfully, the vampire walks further in the room and plops down ungracefully in one of the chairs again, dropping the snacks in the one next to him.

"What did the arrow look like?" Angel asked.

Shrugging Xander replies, "Like an arrow. It was black. Feathered." He scuffs his shoes, "You know, an arrow."

"Still," the vampire continues to prod, "you told Fred that he started having violent tremors. Could it be – " he stops, trailing off.

The other vampire in the room opens his Cheetos. "Could it be what?" he asked around a mouthful of chips.

"I don't know," Angel replies annoyed. "Something had to have been different about it? When something sharp is in your back, you tend to lie still. Not rocking back and forth like you are having a seizure."

"The arrow was poisoned," Fred says as she steps into the room; still in scrubs, holding a chart, and looking exhausted.

The three look up and snapping into action Xander and Angel step forward closer to her.

"Poisoned," Angel says as he crosses his arms. Biting his lip he looks over at the one eyed man briefly before looking back at his longtime friend. "Poisoned how? I mean, with what?"

Fred takes a deep breath and opens the chart before handing it over. "Looks to be liquefied clover, toad stool, unidentifiable blood, and a common flower. Dandelions."

Pulling a face, Xander replies, "What? What does that add up to…I mean besides _gross._"

Spike walks up and interjects, "Bereginya-otpoba."

"Bulgarian for Faerie bane," Angel says and pauses before looking back at his grandchilde incredulously. "How did you know that?"

Spike, looking affronted, replies, "What? Only you're 'llowed to speak a dozen languages?" He scoffs, "I'll have you know I happen to be fluent in – "

"Babe," Xander cut in. "I think Angel meant how did you know what the poison was?"

"Oh," he sniffed. "Well I had a friend of a friend who was hunting a Faerie princess…or maybe she was Faerie princess' slave." The other looked at each other before the vampire shrugged. "Who knows, anyhow he was sloshed and kept going on and on about this wench his pal was trying to find. And," he chuckles, getting lost in the memories, "he told me about this one time he – "Seeing that the other weren't amused, he stopped and cleared his throat. "Well he basically just told me about the guy's search for the clan that was nearby or something, so they could kill them."

"And he mentioned Faerie bane?" Fred asked.

Spike nodded. "'s the only true way to kill a Fae."

Xander's eyes bug, "Wait. Kill? It's going to _kill_ Noah? Oh, god."

Angel sucked in an uneeded breath to calm his rising panic. "Why are you waiting till _now _to tell us about this? This information would have been valuable months ago when we realized Noah was a target."

Spike, getting defensive, says, "Hey, now, mate. I just forgot, alright?"

"I think what we need to focus on, Angel," Fred interrupts as she adjusts her glasses, "is that we don't have an antidote. And also no idea how long it take for it to – well you know."

Chewing his lip, Xander felt his eyes begin to swell. "What are we going to do?"

"Spike," the elder vampire says, "what else did this guy say?"

Spike, looking seriously glum, shrugged. "Nothing, mate. Just that you can't kill a Fae unless you inject them with Bereginya-otpoba. Something about their magical energy, and resilience to iron or some such rot. Oh and how their blood could was potent enough to cause a vampire to become human again, or give humans eternal life. Nothing pertinent to saving them from the poison."

"Wait, what?" Xander gasped.

Angel growled lowly in frustration. It was typical Spike to just conveniently forget important details like that. "I guess that gives a clearer picture as to why they are hunted creatures."

"Yeah, and why they are so secretive," Xander agrees, then smacks his boyfriend's shoulder. Hard.

"Bloody hell!" Spike shouts and rubs the offending area. "Why did you – "

"That's for withholding this information!"

Sighing, the dark eyed vampire looked to Xander. "We need to get everyone on this. There has to be a way. I mean – "

"We are going to do everything we can," Fred said gently. "He's out in an induced coma now, but you can come see him if you'd like. Maybe sit with him for a little bit. We're going to be waking him up soon, and I'm sure he'd like it if you were the first person he saw."

Angel feeling his dead heart throb at the thought of the boy nodded and looked back to Xander and Spike. "Just – just find the antidote. Please."

Smiling wanly at vampire, the watcher nodded and let him follow Fred through the door to the recovery room.

Noah wasn't going to die.

He'd make sure of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 ~ Welcome to Existence**

It was the end of the day, and Noah was exhausted as he walked down the torch lit hall leading to his room. He nodded at Maria and Clarice as they waved at him and ignored their giddy chatter afterwards. He had no interest in even pretending to care about their silly crush.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he reached the door and rested his forehead on the wood. His head was throbbing, like someone had stabbed him through the eye. Or through his back. Or maybe through his chest. Repeatedly.

He was just in pain. Physical pain. Like all over. And he couldn't explain it, except for his head, because of the excruciating vision he'd had a little bit ago.

He flicked through his small set of keys and got to the one for the lock to his private suite, before opening his door and slumping back against the wood with a pained sigh. He rubbed his forehead and dropped the key ring in the bowl on his small table by the door, then walked further into the room to head for the bathroom to get some aspirin.

These were days he wished he still hit the bottle.

In the vision a teenager, about the same age as himself, was out walking with his friend or boyfriend and got shot by an arrow. A freaking arrow! Completely unexpectedly. Sometimes Noah wonders why demonic forces want to live in the dark ages, for all their fluff and bull.

"Oh, come on _Puck_, you gotta admit though, they do have the whole blind sighting people thing down," a familiar voice said to the right of him with a chuckle.

Stopping dead in his tracks, the teen's eyes widen as he places where he's heard it before.

"Course they're also pretentious and a giant pain in the ass; but hey, that whole duality clause to life isn't without its own set of subsidiary problems."

It couldn't be –

"Mmm, but it is," it continues in the same amused tone and Noah turns around to face the person with wide eyes and mouth hanging open. "Hello son. It's been a while."

~P&A~

Angel stepped inside the room and swallowed at what he saw.

Noah. On the bed. With wires and machines attached to him and making noises that were reverberating loudly in his sensitive ears. Angel bit his lip in an uncharacteristic display of weakness. He hadn't seen something like this since when Cordelia had been in the Wolfram and Hart hospital. And considering she never woke up, he wasn't very trusting the same thing wouldn't happen again.

He carefully walks into the room and sits in the small white chair next to the bed. Even unconscious Noah looked like a model. Perfectly shaped face, strong and defined muscles…he takes care of himself and the word _handsome _seems to be too light a word. But even for all the teen's beauty, he still had this little boy charm that showed through at times. Thinking of it made the vampire half smile, and reach forward to brush the damp bang from his face.

He soon frowned though. This was wrong. He shouldn't be thinking of his seer this way. Or any way at all. He was a sweet kid.

Angel cared about him…a lot…more than he should. But he couldn't seem to help it and it was beginning to worry him. Ever since their almost kiss Angel had been thinking, brooding. He loves Buffy. He adores Buffy. There's no way that he's lusting after this teen when the love of his life is with him for good this time.

Sex or no sex.

He had thought it has to be something magical. Noah has the power over persuasion, and his eyes had glowed it could be possible that he hadn't meant to cast a spell.

But deep down he knew it wasn't true. He had been trying to place blame, and wound up avoiding Noah because of his fear. And now, it nearly got the boy killed. Angel could barely function he was so far inside his own head in grief. How could he do that?

Blame someone so innocent that just wanted the vampire to see him. And hey, Noah had been right. Ever since he and Buffy had gotten back together it was as if the slayer was doing everything she could to stay away as much as possible. It bothered him.

Just like now, this boy could be dead soon and where was she? Attending Magical Beings Alliance Conference in Lisbon.

The hunters finding his seer was his fault. He should have been there. He shouldn't have let Noah go out on patrol without him. It was just Xander had said he'd been so sad and locking himself in Giles' office for hours to try and translate the code his father had left behind.

God. Angel was pathetic wasn't he? He had promised him. Promised to protect him, and… a sob bubble up in his chest and he swallowed it down.

He looked back up at the beautiful face and felt the tears swell in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Noah," he whispered and took his hand, holding between his two larger ones. "We're going to fix this. Please," he swallowed, "please, baby, hold on. Come back to me, and we can fix it. Okay?"

He felt the tears begin to develop. He didn't realize you could miss someone you didn't have before, but here he was. Desperate to see those large brown eyes so full of wonder and amazement.

"Come back," he sobbed and laid his head on the teen's leg.

~P&A~

"_Dad_," Noah gasped and blinked his eyes, wondering if what he was seeing was truly real. "I don't understand. What are you – "

"I'm here because it's time, my son," his dad says smoothly. "It's time for you to come home."

Sobering up from his shock, Noah shook his head and took a cautious step back. "No, I'm not going back to Ohio. I can't I-I have a job here. And – "

"I didn't mean Ohio," Elijah Puckerman scoffed and crossed his arms. He came forward to stand closer to the boy, "I mean _home _home. With me."

"With _you?" _Noah replied slowly. "With you where? In faerie-topia-mania-land or whatever?" He pulls a face at his father. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"No, actually," was the answer with a hiked eyebrow. "I'm very serious. You don't belong in this world, Noam. You belong in the Otherworld. With us. Your kind."

"My name is No-_ah. _Or Puck. Mom stopped calling me Noam years ago," The teen rolled his eyes, and rubbed the back of his neck. "And why would I go with you anywhere? Huh? I haven't even seen you since I was five. Why would I trust you?"

Looking slightly affronted, the elder faerie said, "I'm your father. Whether you like it or not, I'm still responsible for you. I left you with your mother because I thought you'd be safe there in Lima until it was time for your harvesting."

"Still left me, Dad," Noah replied quietly. "I wouldn't exactly say I was very _safe_ considering all the bull I got into."

"Not my fault you became a rebel."

"Actually it is," the teen steps forward and crowds his dad's personal space. "I had no father figure, and you left me with a drunk that didn't really give two shits about me. You wanna tell me how that's not your fault?" Not letting the man talk he continued, "Furthermore, I had no idea who I was. What if in all that time someone had come for me, I wouldn't have had any way to protect myself. My powers were bound!"

"We bound your powers so no one _would _come for you," Elijah calmly said.

"Who's we?" he shot back with a hiked eyebrow.

"Myself and some of the others, by the instruction of Odin. Our leader."

The teen rolled his eyes, "Really? Odin from Shakespeare or whatever? You telling me you're from – "

"Avalon, yes," his father finished. "Or what some cultures call Mag Mell, Emain Ablach, the Tir na nÓg, etcetera."

"Bored."

"The point is you must come home with me, before the hunters finish what they started," Elijah said urgently.

Head drawing back in confusion, he just said, "What? What are you talking about?"

"Noam, you're in a coma. You were shot with an arrow by hunters!"

Jaw dropping and feeling even more godsmacked then before Puck gasped. "I don't understand. I – " _Oh. _"The vision I had…it wasn't a vision."

His dad shook his head.

"So we're…we're in a dream?"

"Not quite," his dad said, taking a deep breath to calm down. "We're on the astral plane. I helped your body project itself here so we can talk without anyone hearing. But we don't have a lot of time, son. The poison on the arrow will kill you if we don't get you home."

"Poison?" the teen said startled. "I've been poisoned _and _shot with an arrow?"

"A flint arrow, yes. But we can fix this."

"Oh, god," Noah said feeling the pain in his back begin to throb as he fell back against the wall. "I need – I need to get to Angel. I have to see him."

"No you need to come home, Noam. Please," his dad begged softly pushing the bangs that had been growing out of Noah's eyes.

"I don't want to go to Avalon," he growled. "I want Angel. This is your fault anyway."

"I always planned to come back for you, son. I'm sorry but I had to leave. I had to get away from you before the hunters figured out you belonged to me. It wasn't safe. I left you with a way to find me if something happened."

"You mean the code?" Noah snorted. "It makes no sense. How would I have ever figured it out?"

Elijah looks at Noah curiously, "Your mother _really _never told you _anything _did she?"

Puck shot him a _no shit, Sherlock _look. Clearing his throat, Elijah nodded and unfolded his arms before swiping the air and producing a scroll. The teens eyebrows shot up. "How did you do that?"

Taking a breath, the man held the scroll out to his son. "This is the second half of the code I left with your mother. She was supposed to use the summoning charm to get it and give it to you when you wanted to reach me. When you were old enough to understand the truth."

Snorting, Noah shrugged sagging a little further into the wall. "Well, I've never told her I wanted you. So I guess that's why she never gave it to me."

Eye shining slightly, Elijah shook his head. "That's not true son, and you know it."

Shocked, Noah stood up. "Excuse me?" he gasped.

"I know all about you sitting in the corner of your mother's room with my guitar when she wasn't home, and wishing I would walk through the door and ask you what you were doing there. Like I did when you were little," he smiled affectionately. "I know because I'd project myself to sit next to you, and touch your shoulder. You'd always jump and look around, and I'd wish you _could _see me. That I _could _be there."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"You father," he replied with a loving smile and sniffled a little. "I _was_ there, Noam. Watching. Every chance I could anyway."

"Bullshit," Noah whispered.

"No it's not," he responded, still holding the scroll. "And I dearly hope that when you come with me to Avalon, we can begin to build a new life. Together. The way we are meant to be."

Noah looked at the scroll in his father hands and finally reached for it, looking at the man with a careful eye.

~P&A~

A black hooded figure dropped through a small window and into an old, dirty living room. It sighed and removed its hood, revealing a dark skinned man with eyes the color of sapphires and a scar running along the length of his face.

He walked to the mirror and removed his black cloak along with his weapons and leather gloves.

"_Тя ще бъде скоро, капитанa_," he said lowly. Turning around he looks for the face in the dark that has promised him so many things. The other man was also had a dark complexion, but was dressed in ceremonial black robes and lying on a dingy couch with his arms crossed, unconscious.

"_Аз го заразени с отрова. Подозирам, до полунощ ще го има, и ние ще бъдем в състояние да извършат ритуала_." Walking forward to the side of the couch and he crouched down to smile at his master. "Аз ще се върна, баща ми. Моят господар. И тогава ние ще направим друго заплащане. За вечността."

**Translation: **_It will be soon, master. I have infected him with the poison. I suspect that by midnight we will have him, and we can perform the ritual. I will get you back, my father. My master. And then we will make the other pay. For eternity._


End file.
